Preparing the Seed and Sowing Blue Grama Grass Seed
- For a Blue Grama lawn use 3-4 lbs per 1,000 sq. ft. ...
- Mix weighed seed with slightly moist sand in a ratio of 2 parts sand to 1 part seed so sowing is even.
- Add Plant Success Granular mycorrhizal root inoculant to improve seed germination and get young seedlings off to a faster, more vigorous start.
Can you grow blue grama from seed?
Blue grama can be grown from seed or transplanted as sod. The grass should be planted in summer once soil temperatures have risen to at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The plants self-sow freely once established. Sod should be soaked thoroughly before and after planting.
How do you care for blue grama grass seed?
Mow blue grama to a height of 1 1/2 to 3 inches long for a manicured lawn or allow it to grow to its full height for a no-mow, natural lawn. Mulching over seeds retains moisture and keeps birds from eating grass seed. Avoid walking on the lawn during the first 4 to 6 weeks after planting seed.
What can I plant with blue grama grass?
Blue Grama Grass is shown here mixed with native shrubs and perennials, including Rabbitbrush. It can be challenging to seed wildflowers at the same time your sowing warm season native grasses like Blue Grama.
How much mulch do you put over blue grama?
Plant your lawn with blue grama grass seed at the rate of 3 to 5 pounds per each 1,000 square feet using a spreader. Sprinkle a 1-inch layer of mulch over the grass seed.
How long does blue grama grass take to germinate?
7 to 10 daysWarm night temperatures, evenly moist (but not soggy) soil and rain showers will help Grama grass to germinate quickly, usually within 7 to 10 days of planting.
Does blue grama spread?
Distribution. Native Distribution: Western North American from southern Canada to southern Mexico. Western Ontario to Alberta, south through Illinois to western Missouri, Texas, and southern California, through much of Mexico.
Do you cut back blue grama grass?
Propagation and Pruning Grass Blue Grama The Grama grasses you can cut back to a height of two to four inches in mid-spring. Then, using gloved hands with a three-tine hand cultivator, you can scratch the interior out of the clump. Doing this helps remove the thatch to make room for growth.
What does blue grama grass do?
Native species like Blue Grama Grass provide property owners with a resilient, fine-textured grass that withstands drought, provides ornamental seed heads in late summer and habitat for numerous beneficial insects, songbirds and small animals.
What animals eat blue grama grass?
Many grasshoppers and other insects feed on this prairie grass. The larvae of Dakota Skipper, Leonard's Skipper), and Ottoe's Skipper also feed on it. Various birds are also known to eat the seeds of Grama grasses.
Is blue grama a bunch grass?
Blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis) is a bunch grass native to the Great Plains found in pastures, grazing land, and open unmanaged fields.
Is blue grama deer resistant?
Blonde Ambition Blue Grama Grass As the flowers mature they take on a blond color, quite nice in floral arrangements. Ground feeding birds enjoy the seed in autumn. Easy to grow, deer and drought tolerant, a low maintenance gem.
How do you harvest blue grama grass seed?
It is recommended to wait until the seeds feel firm or hard before mowing. To be on the safe side you might wait until the seed come off fairly easily in your hand when you draw the seed head through your fingers. This may be as late as mid-summer. Most mature grass seeds are held on the plant for 10-15 days.
Does heavy metal switchgrass spread?
Heavy Metal Blue Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal') is a choice ornamental native grass named for its attractive, stiffly upright blue-gray foliage....Heavy Metal Blue Switchgrass.Zones4 - 9Light RequirementsFull SunWater ToleranceLow-WaterMature Height60-72" tallMature Spread24-36" wide4 more rows•Aug 5, 2021
What does blue grama seed look like?
Blue Grama has gray-green foliage that slightly curls with tiny hairs hiding under the leaves. It is a warm season perennial that averages in height between 6 to 12 inches with a seed head that ranges from 7 to 18 inches. The seed heads look like crescent moons or human eyebrows perched on the end of the stem.
What does the term grama mean?
Definition of grama : any of several pasture grasses (genus Bouteloua) of the western U.S.
Is blue grama warm season?
Being a warm-season grass, Blue grama provides good quality summer grazing for all classes of domestic livestock and many wild animals. As it matures it remains fairly palatable and nutritious. Blue grama can withstand relatively heavy grazing and is very drought resistant.
How fast does buffalo grass spread?
A healthy Buffalo grass lawn can grow at an extremely fast rate. In fact, a Buffalo lawn which is receiving adequate water and nutrients can grow up to a foot high every four weeks in the peak of summer.
Where is blue grama found?
Blue grama is a major species of the western Great Plains and southwestern United States. It is also found growing in Mexico and the Canadian Provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
How does blue grama adapt to the grasslands?
Adaptation: Warm season perennial native grass. Adapted to a wide variety of soils; occurs more frequently on heavy upland soils. It tolerates drought and alkalinity, but not wet or poorly drained soils.
How does purple Needlegrass adapt to the grasslands?
It is well adapted to droughty soils, clays and serpentine soils. The species grows well in full sun as well as partial shade and is tolerant of extreme summer heat and drought. Purple needlegrass does not tolerate being overshaded by non- native annuals. Some ecotypes of the species have partial flood tolerance.
What is Blue Grama Grass?
Blue grama cultivars are part of turf grass and ground cover areas with low moisture. It is a warm to temperate zone grass that requires sun and dry earth but tolerates a range of soil types, from rocky to sandy, with moderate to alkaline pH levels.
How tall is Blue Grama?
None of the varieties gets taller than 12 to 18 inches (30-45 cm.) without mowing and they produce abundant purplish inflorescences in late summer that are attractive and provide delightful movement and wild animal fodder.
When does native grass grow?
The native grass starts growing in May to June and flowers at the end of the summer season. It is often used for grazing but also performs well as a lawn with minimal mowing, watering or fertilizing. It is not suitable for most northern climes and performs best in western Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona, although it tolerates drier parts of the Pacific Northwest.
Why are native plants so popular?
Image by ValuePix. Native plants are becoming more popular in garden and home landscape use due to their low maintenance and ease of care. Choosing plants that already fit into the local fauna gives them a high incidence of survival and growth with minimal effort because the area already matches their requirements.
Can you water blue grama grass in extreme drought?
Any of these can be prevented for the most part by following good blue grama grass care and only watering in extreme drought and only when the blades of grass have time to dry in the coolest part of the day. Wet foliage in high heat tends to form the fungal diseases that cause these major problems. Printer Friendly Version.
What is the name of the grass that grows in the North American prairie?
While the vast North American prairie in its original state may be lost to us, we are fortunate that a beautiful, tawny prairie grass, Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama or mosquito grass), has survived.
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How many guides are there on everything from fences to foxgloves?
Starting from scratch or upgrading an outdoor space? Look here for advice on plants and hardscape materials. We have 200 guides on everything from fences to foxgloves.
Is blue grama grass drought tolerant?
While the vast North American prairie in its original state may be lost to us, we are fortunate that a beautiful, tawny prairie grass, Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama or mosquito grass), has survived. Bouteloua gracilis is drought tolerant, largely free of pests and diseases and is not bothered by deer.
Is Bouteloua gracilis a native plant?
Since it is a native plant, using it in your garden is a gift to wildlife. It provides cover for nests as well as food for birds and other pollinators and small mammals. If you happen to live on a farm with a herd of cows or other grazing animals, Bouteloua gracilis is so tough that it will survive their munching .
What is blue grama grass?
By Mary Lougee. Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) is a warm-season, perennial grass with brownish-purple seed head s on top of wiry tan stalks. Common names for this grass are mosquito grass and signal-arm grass.
Why mulch over grass seed?
Mulching over seeds retains moisture and keeps birds from eating grass seed.
How much water does a blue grama need?
Water blue grama established lawns of 6 weeks to equal 2 to 4 inches of water including precipitation in hot summer months. This prevents dormancy in the summer. Blue grama does not need irrigation to thrive in most other months because it is heat and drought tolerant.
Where Should I Start?
Check out the Grow Native! Committee’s Top Ten picks of native plants for a particular purpose.
Where Can I Find This Plant in Nature?
Learn about the Native Environment (s) inhabited by the plants in this database.
How to grow blue grama grass?
Blue grama can be grown from seed or transplanted as sod. The grass should be planted in summer once soil temperatures have risen to at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The plants self-sow freely once established. Sod should be soaked thoroughly before and after planting. To establish it as a turf, the National Forest Service recommends you use sod at least 2 inches thick and plant it early in the growing season.
What animals eat blue grama grass?
Songbirds and quails enjoy blue grama's seeds and stems, as do prairie dogs and jackrabbits. Due to its tolerance of less-than-ideal growing conditions, blue grama grass is used for conservation efforts and erosion control in arid and semiarid parts of the country, notes the National Forest Service. Blue grama grass is used as forage for domestic livestock such as sheep and cattle. It is also cherished by wild species such as mule deer, elk and bison.
How much rain does blue grama grass need?
Blue grama grass requires a well-draining, loose soil that is low in organic matter. The grass is exceptionally drought-tolerant, and is capable of subsisting on as little as 7 inches of rain a year, notes Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. In dry conditions, blue grama grass will tend to grow in clumps, rather than a solid mat. This can be remedied by mixing the grass with other wildflowers or other grass species. The grass will do well with light watering once a week.
What is the name of the grass that grows on the stem?
Also known as signal-arm grass or mosquito grass, blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis) is a clump-forming grass grown for its fine, delicate leaves and bluish-green seed heads, which jut out from the stem horizontally. The grass is quite short, growing to a mature height of about 12 to 14 inches. In winter, the foliage turns tan while the seed heads shift to reddish burgundy. The common name mosquito grass references the seed heads, which some say resemble mosquito larvae.
Where does blue grama grass grow?
A native of Western North America, blue grama grass grows naturally in dry and mixed prairies and plains from southern Canada all the way through Texas , southern California and most of Mexico. In the garden, blue grama grass grows in bright, sunny areas in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 10. The grass tolerates shallow soil, as well as air pollution, and may be grown near black walnut trees (Juglans nigra), which grow in USDA zones 4 through 9, despite the toxic chemicals secreted from their roots.
Where is Michelle Wishhart?
Michelle Wishhart is a writer based in Portland, Ore. She has been writing professionally since 2005, starting with her position as a staff arts writer for City on a Hill Press, an alternative weekly newspaper in Santa Cruz, Calif. An avid gardener, Wishhart worked as a Wholesale Nursery Grower at Encinal Nursery for two years. Wishhart holds a Bachelor of Arts in fine arts and English literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
How much sun does blue oat grass need?
Ideally, look for a location that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight per day for this plant.
What is the color of oat grass?
Helictotrichon sempervirens ‘Saphirsprudel’: This variety is very similar in appearance to conventional blue oat grass. However, this cultivar has been developed to have a significantly more pronounced blue hue to its foliage, with slightly thicker grass shoots, and an increased tolerance for heat and humidity.
What is the best pH for blue oat grass?
For this reason, heavy clay-like soils are not ideal. Blue oat grass does best with an alkaline to neutral pH level in soil; a pH of 6.5 to 7.5 is considered best.
How to cut a plant from the crown?
Using the shovel or spade, cut the plant from the crown into two or three pieces of roughly equal size. Depending on how dense the root ball is, it might take lots of muscle, a sharp tool, or a chainsaw to complete the task. Replace one section of the divided plant back into the original hole.
Can blue oat grass grow in a container?
Being Grown in Containers. Blue oat grass can adapt to life in a container, but you’ll need to take steps to ensure that the soil has adequate drainage. In addition, some plants grown in containers lack the necessary nutrients for sustained healthy growth of foliage in flowers. While blue oat grass plants in the ground rarely need fertilizer, ...
Can you trim blue oat grass in winter?
However, in some climates with mild winters, blue oat grass retains its characteristic blue-green color throughout the winter season. In such cases, it’s not necessary to cut back any growth and you can enjoy the foliage ...
When do blue grass shoots appear?
It produces abundant shoots of blue-green grass stalks during the spring, but rarely self-seeds and doesn’t have the reputation of taking over in a garden. In summer, spikelets of tiny blue-green flowers bearing seeds appear at the top of the tall grass stalks in groups called panicles. These gradually turn to wispy brown plumage as fall ...
